Why us?

The Bush Tannery was rediscovered in the Arctic wilderness of Lapland Sweden in the middle of Winter, 2015 (Pictured: Josh McLean - ‘Ice fishing’)

Why us?

By supporting The Bush Tannery, you are voting YES for sustainable tanning and leather crafting practices and education services that are part of the change that this world needs in the future RIGHT NOW.

What began as a simple idea out of necessity while ice fishing for months in remote wilderness, snowballed into obsession and personal transformation. Due to an abundance of fish in the region, the skins were saved and turned into leather based on Lotta Rahme’s recipes. Standing on the shoulders of our ancestors across the planet, traditional tanning and leather crafting taps into the timeless wisdom teachings of our connection with nature… OUR nature.

For thousands of years we have had a close connection with animals, and while horrific practices are conducted across the planet, The Bush Tannery seeks only to support the most ethical, sustainable and respectful practices that celebrate life…. NOT destroy it!

“Take care of the land and the land will take care of you”- as commonly expressed here amongst Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians.

OUR COMMUnITY

Community engagement and a sharing of the traditional skills and practices of tanning and leather crafting are what make these practices soo special! Throughout 2016, TBT held multiple workshops within a community setting at Wominjeka (Welcome in Wurrindjeri language - the acknowledged traditional owners of the land), affirming that these skills and practices are still very much searched after in this day and age.

The Bush Tannery supports various community and interest groups, who are wanting to learn firsthand and potentially go on to preserve the knowledge so that our children can also participate in this incredible past time.

EDUCATING OUR CHILDREN

Lastly and most importantly… Spending time with our youth to engage in practical skills that allow young people to understand and experience firsthand traditional skills that have been passed down from generation to generation for thousands of years.

Embedded in the practices of traditional tanning and leather crafting with The Bush Tannery are lessons of sustainability, using only waste skins and furs that would otherwise end up as landfill (contributing to greenhouse gas emissions). Independence, through learning to create a textile based on incredible science, then produce a craft that will last a lifetime, while having the knowledge for the rest of their lives. Creative and Critical Thinking, as we begin to shift towards more importance on innovation and preventive solutions to our global issues. Young people will also learn ethics, through working with natural materials that engage with natural ecological cycles. And of course Intercultural connections as these practices transcend language barriers and allow young people to engage with their, hands and bodies, as most of our communication is through body language.

“If a child is to keep alive his inborn sense of wonder … he needs the companionship of at least one adult who can share it, rediscovering with him the joy, excitement, and mystery of the world we live in.”– Rachel Carson

Want to learn more about The Bush Tannery and the story behind this vessel of change in the way we make things?

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